


trouble when it's necessary

by Laylah



Category: Loveless
Genre: Community: ficondemand, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-17
Updated: 2011-05-17
Packaged: 2017-10-19 12:24:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/200821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylah/pseuds/Laylah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For a prompt at DW's ficondemand, for "the first time Soubi lets Ritsuka take care of him, instead of the other way around."</p>
            </blockquote>





	trouble when it's necessary

It's late when they get back to the house, and Ritsuka is shivering all the way through from the cold rain, and he _knows_ Soubi must be doing worse than he is—but still when they get into his room Soubi tries to just put him down and walk away.

"No, wait!" Ritsuka says, scrambling after him, catching at his sleeve. Soubi pauses, but only barely; it feels like he's trying to lean toward the door, trying to wish his way back out into the night and away. "You're hurt."

"It's nothing," Soubi murmurs. Liar!

Ritsuka tugs on his sleeve. "Sit," he says. His tail bristles out straight behind him, his ears pinned with determination. "That's an order."

Soubi actually looks at him then, eyebrows raised in silent surprise. He doesn't actually sit down yet, but he looks like...like he's listening, at least. God, why does he have to be so difficult?

"If you're going to tell me that you'll follow my orders," Ritsuka says, "if you _want_ me to give you orders—then you have to follow them! You can't just pick and choose, and only follow the orders you like."

"I don't want to cause you any trouble," Soubi says.

"Idiot," Ritsuka says. "You'll cause me trouble if I can't sleep because I'm worrying about you."

"It's not that bad," Soubi protests, which is probably true. They've faced scarier opponents than they had tonight.

" _Sit_ ," Ritsuka says again. "You're the worst at following orders."

Soubi at least manages to look a _little_ ashamed of himself as he sits down.

Ritsuka studies him suspiciously, tail twitching in annoyance. "I'm going to get the first aid kit," he says. " _Don't leave_."

"As you wish," Soubi says, with this pretend innocence like he never would have dreamed of it. Stupid infuriating Soubi.

Ritsuka tries to go quickly, so he won't give Soubi time to come up with an excuse for leaving anyway. He knows Soubi that well by now—orders or no orders, he's stubborn about things he thinks he should do. Even when he's wrong. Ritsuka grabs the first aid kit out of the bathroom and hurries back to his room, steps quick and quiet as he can make them.

Soubi is still there, and he's in the middle of slipping his shirt off when Ritsuka ducks back into the room. Ritsuka freezes up, staring. It makes _sense_ , if he's going to see to Soubi's wounds, that first Soubi would have to undress for that, but—it's just so sudden, too fast, and that tiny teasing smile that Soubi gives him makes it worse. "Have I gone too far?"

"You're impossible!" Ritsuka says. His cheeks feel hot and his ears flatten back against his skull, but he stalks over with the kit. "Don't be a pervert when I'm trying to help you."

"My apologies," Soubi says, bowing his head. His hair spills down into his face, but Ritsuka can see that he's still smiling. Obnoxious, insufferable Soubi.

Who—who isn't so bad as all that. Ritsuka sets the first aid kit on his futon and opens it, digging out some gauze and the bottle of antiseptic. Here he is, alone in his room with a half-dressed adult easily twice his size—somehow having his coat off makes the breadth of Soubi's shoulders even more obvious—but it's not frightening, not really. It's strange and it doesn't make any sense, this world that Soubi has dragged him into, but Ritsuka isn't afraid.

Soubi's injuries aren't that bad this time, compared to some of the battles they've had. He has a few bruises along his rib cage, where Ritsuka tries to be gentle, and there's a row of shallow cuts stretching across his shoulder. Ritsuka cleans them diligently, listening to the deliberate slowness of Soubi's breathing. It's a way of ignoring the pain, just like the way Ritsuka carefully doesn't pay attention to the old white scars on Soubi's back. They've both been through worse than this.

"You're a very kind master," Soubi says, when Ritsuka has finished cleaning the cuts and started to bandage them.

 _No I'm not_ , is what Ritsuka means to say. "This is nothing," is what comes out instead. "You shouldn't try to be so tough all the time. If you belong to me," his hands are shaking as he smooths bandages across Soubi's skin, "then I'm responsible for you. Seimei—Seimei might have wanted you to look after me, but I want you to let me look after you, too."

When he finishes, Soubi takes his hand and kisses it, first the knuckles, then the palm. "It's kind of you to worry about me so much," he says.

Ritsuka frowns, because that's not agreement and he'd bet that Soubi is avoiding making promises on purpose. But he's tired, and he thinks maybe this is enough for tonight. He can keep making this point in the future until Soubi gets it.

He leans over and kisses Soubi's forehead. "If you put your shirt back on," he says, "you can stay until I fall asleep."

Soubi's smile is quiet and pleased and makes Ritsuka feel just a little bit fluttery inside. "Thank you," he says. "I'd like that."


End file.
